This question in from Mrs Freemans Astronomy class in Idaho. Could an Earth-type aircraft operate on Mars, or will new types of aircraft need to be designed?
Hi, Mrs. Freeman’s Astronomy class in Idaho! What an excellent question about an Earth-type aircraft operating on Mars. The answers are really no and yes. The Martian atmosphere is very thin (like being at 100,000 feet on Earth!), and thus it is very difficult to get enough lift to counterbalance an airplane’s weight on Mars. Any existing Earth airplanes would not work on Mars, because they couldn’t take off (their engines wouldn’t work, either, because Mars’ atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide and has essentially no oxygen!). However, we actually have begun planning a Mars airplane! It looks kind of like a glider on Earth, with large wing area to increase lift. Given the problem of having no oxygen, it’s probably more feasible to use a rocket-powered airplane on Mars, or perhaps a solar-powered electric airplane. If your class does a google search on “Mars Airplane” you’ll find many designs readily viewable on the Internet. Thanks for a wonderful question!
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